Monday, November 14, 2005

Iran: White House rewrites Iraqi history to manipulate public on Iran

However, when the facts are not on your side, this Administration wants to rewrite history in Iraq, and ask the public to assume the same is going on in Iran.

Don't take the bait.

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Iran: How the White House rewrites history in Iraq to justify absurd conclusions about Iran

In preparations for combat operations in Syria and Iran, the Americans are rewriting history.

The objective is to reframe the issues in Iraq, and create a similar set of issues in the audience in re Iran and Syria.

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The run up to the war in Iraq was convoluted: There were many pieces of incorrect information floating around.

Today, in 2005, the American leadership would have us believe that things were clear, certain, and definite. On the contrary, Scott Ritter shows us that despite the Iraqis developing weapons, that the UN had accounted for the material.

Today, in 2005, the Administration would have us focus not on the imminent threat, which did not exist, but on the WMD programs. Yet, this was not the basis for the arguments presented to Congress.

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The point is that the issues prior to 2002-3 in Iraq are being rewritten. By analogy, the US hopes to frame the issues in Iran and Syria under the "same light" -- to suggest that Iraq's programs are similar to what is going on in Iran.

This approach is problematic. First, Iran is cooperating. The problem is that the US has failed to be specific with what it does or does not want. This is no different than what happened in Iraq.

Second, the US by rewriting history about Iraq, is doing a disservice in how we approach Iran. Not only are the waters in Iraq muddied, but the relationship with Iran becomes muddied.

Yet, this fails to focus on what is actually going on in Iran.

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Beware the leaders who rewrite history in what went wrong. They will use that rewritten history to apply it to other situations.

The real issue is what is or is not going on in Iran. Rather than focus on the facts in Iran, the White House is rewriting history over Iraq, and then hoping to build a mental bridge in the public's mind to justify doing the same in both Syria and Iran.

This is a flawed argument.

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The White House cannot credibly use the Iraqi "model" as the basis to assess what is or is not going on in Iran -- the White House has multiple versions of what is or is not going on in Iraq.

There is little prospect the Senate Intelligence Committee will see through the smokescreen. They have enough trouble with what did or didn't happen during 9-11; to ask them to review Iraq, and then see the ruses with Iraq would ask too much.

But it is not credible to make the case that they will then be able to independently assess what is or is not going on in Iran.

The White House has enough trouble getting its facts straight on what its own leadership did or didn't say. It is a leap of absurd faith, arguably reckless, to believe they can get their facts straight on Iraq.

Iran is outside their ability to credibly comprehend using facts. The White House and Joint Staff can only mobilize action by rewriting history in Iraq.